124 replies to this topic

[mdwh]

I think I like the new black text on white look - always good for websites to be clear. But some comments:

* The division line between topics/threads in the forums is almost invisible, making it hard to see the division between threads.

* I note that some buttons only appear when you hover over them (e.g., the "Preview this topic" arrow) - a bad idea for UIs (since you don't know what's available until you mouse over by accident), and even worse on mobiles and touchscreens (if it works at all?)

* When I shrink my browser window so the width is too small to fit, I don't see any horizontal scrollbar appear (using IE 7). I don't know if this is a browser bug issue or what (other websites work fine on this system). Again, could be a big problem with low resolution devices like mobiles.

[Gaiiden]

Would it be possible to have a setting in your profile that only shows "New Posts" from forums you are interesting in.

To do this, click on the "Join this group" button at the top of any forum you are interested in. Now go to the "Watched Content" link up above and you will see any new posts made to forums you are watching as well as any individual threads you are watching in forums where you don't want new thread updates from the entire forum, just the individual thread

Any way we can put "[user]'s Content" in its own link? I use it quite often when I want to see threads I've posted in.

Go up to your username at the top right and you'll see a link to My Content

Also, is the option to see what posts have been rated up or down available?

Not sure what you mean here. Some forums like here and in the Lounge no longer have ratings, is that where the question comes from?

But the annoying issue you might have already noticed is that when you Load More Topics in any forum and enter any of them, after hitting Back button later we go back to the first page of topics only, having to click through Load More again.

Yes, I've noticed this on other IPS forums. I don't know if we can do anything about it but I've just gone back to using the Next and Prev page buttons to advance my view, that way using the Back button returns me to the topic list I left when I entered a thread.

I think I like the new black text on white look - always good for websites to be clear. But some comments:

* The division line between topics/threads in the forums is almost invisible, making it hard to see the division between threads.

Agreed on the almost-invisible division line. I suppose it could be made slightly darker. At the same time though all topic/threads are of uniform dimension, so it's not that difficult to pick them out really. Each folder icon is one topic/thread, for example.

* I note that some buttons only appear when you hover over them (e.g., the "Preview this topic" arrow) - a bad idea for UIs (since you don't know what's available until you mouse over by accident), and even worse on mobiles and touchscreens (if it works at all?)

The site has a mobile version. I'll admit it probably needs a good deal of TLC but issue like this won't be a problem with it.

* When I shrink my browser window so the width is too small to fit, I don't see any horizontal scrollbar appear (using IE 7). I don't know if this is a browser bug issue or what (other websites work fine on this system). Again, could be a big problem with low resolution devices like mobiles.

That's probably an IE thing. Works fine here on Firefox 9.0.1. There's a lot of stuff (here and everywhere else on the 'net) that doesn't work on IE unfortunately

[SiCrane]

Can you subscribe to forums instead of forum threads?

Yep, on the forum just choose "Join this Group" and that will add that forum to your watched list.

Unless there's some option I'm missing, the problem with this is that it only lists the joined forums and the most recent thread in each forum. It doesn't list every recent thread in every joined forum - like how the old forum filters worked for active topics.

Also, it's a little surprising that just making a post in a forum automatically causes you to join that forum.

[Gaiiden]

Unless there's some option I'm missing, the problem with this is that it only lists the joined forums and the most recent thread in each forum. It doesn't list every recent thread in every joined forum - like how the old forum filters worked for active topics.

Ah you're right - joining a forum won't show all new threads in the "threads" view of your Watched Content page. It will only tell you if there have been any new posts in that forum since your last visit. We should bring back the sidebox that shows this information - it's not useful enough otherwise to have to go looking for it in Wached Content but would be nice to have immediately visible when you enter the forums and can see what other forums you're following have new posts.

Also, it's a little surprising that just making a post in a forum automatically causes you to join that forum.

yes posting in a forum makes you part of that forum community, but you're right in that it shouldn't auto-subscribe you to the forum for notifications. You can specify in your settings the option to auto-follow posts you reply to but there's no setting to not auto-follow forums.

[SiCrane]

Actually, I did find a way to filter the new content page by forum. (By the way having the link labelled "Active Content" and the page titled "New content" hurts my brain a little.) On the new content page, on the left hand box at the very bottom there's a "Filter by forum" link. Unfortunately, in order to use it you need to manually add in every forum you want to look at and there doesn't seem to be any quick way to toggle it on and off. Plus it takes so long to process that I thought for a minute that the site had crashed.

Also, very minor thing that I'd feel stupid for starting a new thread for: on the possible awards on the profiles, there's a series of ranks awards. The one for "Sergeant" is incorrectly spelled "Sargeant".

[Gaiiden]

(By the way having the link labelled "Active Content" and the page titled "New content" hurts my brain a little.)

It was called "Recent Content" on the dev site. I have no idea why Mike changed it but yes one or the other should be modified

[Michael Tanczos]

(By the way having the link labelled "Active Content" and the page titled "New content" hurts my brain a little.)

It was called "Recent Content" on the dev site. I have no idea why Mike changed it but yes one or the other should be modified

Well, it used to be "Active Topics" from 2000-2010 - after upgrading since the page covers everything on the previous iteration it was called "Active Content" in the link.

[SiCrane]

Much better. Now all we need to do is capitalize "content" on the page title and everything will be perfect. (Just kidding. My OCD isn't that bad.)

[Michael Tanczos]

Much better. Now all we need to do is capitalize "content" on the page title and everything will be perfect. (Just kidding. My OCD isn't that bad.)

Done! =)


(testing a shared media attachment)

5 Lessons Learned and a Sneak Peak into the Future of the...

Blog: GameDev.net Staff Journal

Last Update Nov 10 2011 08:31 AM

[Matias Goldberg]

2011 version sucked hard.
2012 rocks!

Took you a year guys! This site feels a lot more natural and comfortable. It also surfs better on Firefox & Opera. Faster too.
I do miss the recent posts though. But for some reason, it also forces me look at the rest of the site layout (which is well organized now) and realize GD.Net is not just a forum. I like the integration with the other parts of site.
Eventually you find the New Content link ;-)

[Gaiiden]

Thanks Matias. There's a lot of new things to get used to and people will need to readjust their "site flow" a bit to get around comfortably but it's mostly all there. We'll be tweaking and adding more in the coming weeks and months

[Endurion]

Is there any way to jump to the latest post(s) of a thread? I can't seem to find a way, there also isn't any hidden button.

[Gaiiden]

Is there any way to jump to the latest post(s) of a thread? I can't seem to find a way, there also isn't any hidden button.

Click on the icon to the left of the thread title. I admit this isn't really obvious but that's the way IPS designed it...

Read tracking is on now too so you don't have to remember to click "Mark this forum read" anymore either so the forum remembers your last viewed spot. Yay!

[Endurion]

Ah, thanks
I never expected that there.

[UltimaX]

I just noticed the "GameDev.net Forums RSS" RSS feed at the top. This is great and I think I will be using this as it will be a good alternative to the recent content that was on the home page.

Great job with the site everyone. Keep up the great work.

On a side note, the edit button does not show up on a post unless you refresh the page. Not a huge deal, but I wasn't sure why I couldn't see it at first.

[et1337]

I just noticed the "GameDev.net Forums RSS" RSS feed at the top. This is great and I think I will be using this as it will be a good alternative to the recent content that was on the home page.

So many feeds! That's awesome! *adds to Google Reader*

[SiCrane]

Is there any way to jump to the latest post(s) of a thread? I can't seem to find a way, there also isn't any hidden button.

Click on the icon to the left of the thread title. I admit this isn't really obvious but that's the way IPS designed it...

On that note, is there any way to get the page numbers for long threads to show up next to the thread title rather than after the topic starter?

[Gaiiden]

Any particular reason? Seems easily accessible either way to me

[SiCrane]

When I read the forums, I usually open the New Content page, and scroll down, opening threads that catch my eye in new tabs. Since most threads have only one tab, this means I keep my mouse towards the left of the column and for the multi-page threads I need to move my mouse over and then come back. It's not a big deal, but I think it would flow better this way, especially on my laptop where I use the touch pad.

tl;dr: I'm lazy.

[DarklyDreaming]

Btw, a question out of the blue, are forum avatars and profile avatars now unified? They weren't in the last version of GD, and I noticed my forum avatar has now changed into what was previously my profile avatar.